“Sad People”: Irony
Even though Fabienne is a young uneducated girl, she possesses a wisdom that helps discern people's feelings. After visiting Mr. Devaux, she remarks, "Sad people don't often know that they are sad and bored." It is ironic for one not to feel sadness and boredom when they are the money experiencing it. Fabienne believes that Mr. Devaux needs to be distracted since he is melancholic following his wife's demise. He may not be aware of his sadness; he considers the feeling a component of his entity.
Holidays
From the perspective of animals, holidays are ironic. Animals are not given a chance to celebrate as humans. Agnes recounts, "It was a public holiday, but cows and goats and pigs and chicken did not celebrate the holidays." During the celebrations, humans consume meat, meaning that the animals must lose their lives for the celebrations to occur. If animals had a say regarding holidays, they would not permit any of the holidays to transpire because, for them, holidays mean bloodshed.
Agnes’s Name
Although Fabienne is the one who creates stories, she insists that Agnes’s name should appear as the author. When Mr. Devaux asks why Fabienne's name should not be used, she responds, "Because writing a book is my idea…You have to give something too." Fabienne is not selfish; she wants Agnes to be involved in writing the book. She wants them to participate in the project as two individuals. Fabienne's reasoning surmises that she regards Agnes as part of her life and would not exclude her from projects such as writing books, even though Agnes is not good at creating stories.
